Prisoner
by JacquelineHyde114
Summary: The Prisoner of Azkaban through the memories, thoughts, and eyes of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.
1. The News

Disclaimer – I do not own anything that you may recognize. I wish I did, because then I'd be rich and live on my own island.

_The Daily Prophet_

_AZKABAN BREAKOUT FOR FIRST TIME IN HISTORY!_

_For years, the walls of Azkaban Prison have been believed to be impenetrable. However, on July 29, 1993, at approximately 2:34 AM, for the first time in recorded history, one of the fortress' cells was discovered empty. Notorious mass murderer Sirius Black, one of the most heavily guarded prisoners, has escaped from Azkaban Prison. _

_"We are at a loss for words." Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge said in an emergency interview later that night. "Absolutely dumbfounded. We have no clue how he did it. It's as though he evaporated, simply vanished into thin air."_

_Thoughts are that Black has not traveled far from the fortress, and Fudge assures the magical community that the Ministry has been working ceaselessly to prevent Black from reaching resident areas. _

_No sightings have been reported thus far._

_"All we ask is that the community remains calm in the midst of this crisis." Fudge commented. "Black is doubtlessly out of his mind and extremely dangerous. We advise all people, wizards and Muggles alike, to be on high alert." _

_Azkaban guards had reported earlier in the week that Black had begun muttering in his sleep, always the same words, "He's at Hogwarts…He's at Hogwarts." _

_We all know the tale of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, who, in September, will begin his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Shortly after He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named met his downfall that night in Godric's Hollow, Black was imprisoned. There is no doubt in the minds of many that Sirius Black is indeed You-Know-Who's most trusted and faithful servant. The Boy Who Lived is in grave danger. _

_Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, was unavailable for comment._

The report went on for another two pages, but Remus couldn't bear to finish it. He would never have believed the man glaring at him from the front page of the Daily Prophet to be his former best friend. Then again, twelve years in Azkaban was sure to leave its mark, and it had. Sirius' once elegant black hair now hung gritty and matted to his elbows. His handsome face had melted away to little more than a skull. His deep brown eyes, once full of mischief and laughter, were sunken, hollow, and haunted. Remus found it a wonder that he was even alive.

Sirius _would_ be the first one to break out of Azkaban. He had always been astonishingly clever, and a part of Remus wasn't necessarily surprised; shocked that it had actually happened, but not surprised.

_But how?_

Surely Sirius had lost all that remained of his sanity behind the bars of Azkaban. Remus had often wondered, back before Sirius betrayed them, if he ever possessed any sanity at all. Back then, Remus had assumed that that was just Sirius being Sirius. Loud, troublesome, annoying Sirius…now he questioned his theories. Perhaps Sirius had always been out of his mind, and Remus was so desperate for friendship that he hadn't noticed. No, James would have noticed. James had been a good man. And Sirius…

A knock on his front door interrupted Remus' thoughts. This was strange. Remus lived in a small cottage beyond sight of any in the small neighboring town. People knew he lived there, but none came to visit. Remus was used to the isolation. After almost 30 years, he was quite used to it. Not expecting any visitors, he was still in his night clothes. Oh well. He pulled open the door.

"Hello there, Remus." An old wizard with long white hair and a beard to match smiled at him.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Remus was surprised to be looking in the twinkling blue eyes of his former Headmaster.

"Remus, how many times have I told you that you no longer need to address me as 'Professor'?"

"Sorry…old habits are hard to break. Would you like to come in?"

"That would be marvelous." Dumbledore said, stepping into the cottage. Remus looked around, immensely embarrassed by the state it was in.

"I apologize for my mess. I wasn't expecting visitors." Remus tried to pick up his countless books and papers strewn about his den.

"No apology necessary. I am the one who owes you an apology for not informing you of my visit."

"Oh no, I don't mind." Remus said honestly as Dumbledore took a seat.

"Ah…so you have heard the news." He said taking a look at the Daily Prophet left of Remus' table. "How are you doing?" He asked concernedly.

"Um…I'm doing ok." Remus replied honestly. "I mean…it's a shock…but I'm not really surprised. Sirius always hated to be told to stay in one place for too long."

"I remember how close you were to Mr. Black at Hogwarts. Sometimes I felt that you had a special bond with him that you did not have with the others." Dumbledore said. Remus felt a cold hand grip his heart. He felt almost ashamed of himself to admit he had closely associated himself with Sirius. He had been one of his best friends. And it was true Sirius had always seemed to be protective of Remus, especially after he told Snape how to get into the Whomping Willow. Remus often thought that Sirius' guilt had prevented him from forgiving himself. Of course, Sirius didn't seem to show any remorse at all after the murders…

"I thought he was a good person." Remus said solemnly.

"Yes…I did too." Dumbledore replied. "Well Remus, the real reason I visited you today is because I have an offer for you."

"An offer, Sir?" Remus asked. Surely he didn't mean a job offer. Remus had never been considered for a job, given his condition.

"Yes. We once again have an opening for a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

"Is that job still cursed?" Remus asked amusedly.

"So it would seem. We've still yet to have one last for more than a year." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Now I fear I have discouraged you from taking the job."

"No! Not at all! It's just…are you sure you want…someone like me…teaching the students?" Remus asked, hardly daring to believe his good fortune.

"Remus, in all my years of teaching, you remain one of my favorite students. Yes, you did have a certain thirst for mischief, given your dorm mates I can hardly blame you, but you were always exceptionally kind to everyone. Incredibly smart too, if memory serves. I believe Defense Against the Dark Arts was your best subject."

"It was my favorite." Remus said weakly. "But…are you sure? I mean, suppose I hurt someone?"

"I don't believe you've heard of the Wolfsbane Potion?"

"Er…no." Remus said.

"Well, it has not been released to the public yet. It is still quite a new discovery. However, I know our Potions Master would be…delighted to concoct a batch for you each month."

Remus didn't know what to say. "That would be…wonderful." He finally managed. "What does the Potion do?"

"It is not a cure. It will help you retain your sanity when you transform." That sounded nice to Remus. Transformations were horrible. Back in his school days, when his friends would come to visit, they weren't as bad. Lately, however, they had become much harder to endure.

"Professor…I…you have done so much for me…thank you…"

"It is my pleasure Remus. I only wish I could do more."

"No…no…this is…thank you." Remus said again.

"No, thank you Remus." Dumbledore glanced at his watch. "Well, I best be off. I will be owling you a list of what to expect and some tips on what to start preparing."

"Right." Remus said, feeling as though this was a dream.

"I will see you on September first then…Professor." Dumbledore smiled as he walked out the door. Chills shot down Remus' spine. _Professor_. Who would have thought? He, Remus John Lupin, infected with Lycanthropy at the age of 3, a professor. He remembered how James and Sirius would always tease him about becoming a teacher one day. They had all laughed about it. Back then, of course, Remus had no idea how incredibly hard it would be for him to acquire a job. He decided this was a good enough occasion to get out and treat himself to a trip into town. He changed into his day robes and headed for the door.


	2. The Prisoner

Sirius gave a mirthless, hollow laugh after he finished reading the article. He had to admit, he was quite proud of himself. Those wretches who sent him to Azkaban without a trial were completely clueless. Now, he would go down in history as the first person to ever break out of Azkaban Prison. Not exactly what he had in mind when he said he would be famous for something someday, but whatever. At least he was out of that horrible place, hopefully for good. Once he captured that treacherous, double-crossing rat Peter Pettigrew, his name would be cleared. Then he could finally have the chance to get to know his godson.

Harry…they thought that he was after Harry. How could they possibly think that? He wanted to save Harry. Of course, he had absolutely no way of telling them that they were wrong. For one thing, the second he allowed himself to be seen, they would throw him behind bars again, back to those horrible dementors. Also, who would believe him if he told anything? He was Sirius Black, "mad mass murderer and servant of Lord Voldemort." Right. Sirius had never even met Voldemort in person. That would be Peter. It was Peter who committed those murders twelve years ago… Peter whom everyone else believed to be dead…Peter who was the reason he, Sirius, an innocent man, had spent twelve years in the most horrible place on Earth…Peter who sold James and Lily to Voldemort...

"I'll kill him!" Sirius hissed to himself. Tears of fury, frustration, and unimaginable guilt made his eyes sting. He would never forgive himself for suggesting to James and Lily that they use Peter as Secret Keeper instead of him. How could he have been so stupid? So oblivious? Now, because of him, they were dead. Little Harry was an orphan. He was at the top of the Ministry's Most Wanted list. Remus…what ever happened to him?

Sirius felt an ice cold feeling in the pit of his stomach as yet another overwhelming wave of guilt consumed him at the thought of the werewolf. Was Remus even still alive? Sirius had no idea. He thought about the last time he had seen his friend. Sirius and Remus had been at the Potters, saying goodbye before they went into hiding. Peter had been absent, probably off prancing in a field of daisies with Voldemort. Sirius remembered the way that the firelight had reflected the premature gray in Remus' shoulder length light brown hair. He had tried to remain cheerful, yet his warm gray eyes swam with genuine, heartfelt tears. This man could not have been more innocent. Sirius cursed himself. How could he have suspected Remus of being the spy? Was it because he was a werewolf? Had he really been that judgmental? When had Remus ever given him a reason to believe he was untrustworthy? Never. He had always been completely honest and caring. He had even helped Sirius raise money to buy his beloved motorcycle. Sirius gave a small laugh, remembering all the odd jobs he put James and Remus through. They had pretended to be so mad at him…of course all three of them knew they had a great time.

Sirius felt a special bond between himself and Remus that he didn't have with the others, not even James. Perhaps it was because they were so completely opposite. Sirius was always the one getting into trouble. Remus was always the one getting him out of trouble. Sirius would be loud and obnoxious and often times, a bit disrespectful. Remus was always quiet, polite, and more than usual very shy. Sirius would pull countless pranks on whomever he so pleased. Remus would think up the pranks for Sirius to pull. Sirius came from one of the noblest and oldest families of purebloods. Remus was from a half blooded, lower middle class family. Sirius' parents had forbidden him from associating with someone like him. Of course, Sirius never got around to telling his parents about Remus' little werewolf problem. That would have been even worse. Not only a half blood, but a half-breed as well. That probably would have given his mother a stroke.

So, this was his life. He was on the run from…everyone. The Ministry of Magic was out to get him. They had surely alerted the public by now, therefore every witch and wizard alive would be out to get him. He wouldn't be surprised if Fudge had even alerted the Muggle Prime Minister as well. Stupid git. So now Muggles were out to get him as well. He remembered making stupid comments to James and Remus about how everyone wanted him, either teachers for detentions, girls for dates, or guys for tips on how to get dates. What a joke. Sirius now felt disgusted at himself for being so bloody arrogant and cocky. Back then, he thought he was just about the coolest thing since flying broomsticks. More handsome than…well, he thought none compared to him. How completely shallow he had been! Fat lot of good his charming looks and confident personality had done him. Because of him, two of his best friends were dead, his godson was an orphan, his other best friend was either dead or completely miserable, and a murderous, lying traitor was living life contentedly as a stupid pet rat. He pitied the family that took care of him. Weasley…he had met them before. They were distantly related. Being a pureblood, he was probably related to half the wizards in the country. Sirius shuddered, repulsed by thoughts of his family. No, his relatives. His family was James, Lily, Harry, Remus. Of course James and Lily were dead and Harry and Remus (if he wasn't dead) thought that he was a blood thirsty, back stabbing murderer.

Sirius was beginning to grow tired of this seemingly endless pity party he was hosting for himself. He would never reach Hogwarts at this rate. He had to keep going. He had to stop thinking about how pathetic his own life was and stay focused on why he had broken out of Azkaban in the first place. To kill that wretched, lower than dirt, sneaky, slimy little rat! Thinking about how sweet revenge would be, a sort of fire coursed though his body, and he felt his powers strengthen. Seconds later, the man Sirius Black disappeared. A huge, black, bear-like dog, Padfoot, sat in his place. _Thank you Moony_. He thought.Had Remus not been a werewolf, Sirius would not be an Animagus, and an unregistered one at that. No one knew, except for Remus and that stupid rat. His disguise was perfect. He would stop at the nearest town and see if he could win a few scraps for dinner. Then, continue his journey to Hogwarts.


	3. An Excellent Actor

_The Daily Prophet_

_BLACK STILL AT LARGE!_

_Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today._

_"We're doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."_

_Fudge has been criticized by some member of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis._

_"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it – who'd believe him if he did?"_

_While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse. _

Remus was growing used to seeing Sirius' face glowering at him from the front page day after day. He always liked to be the center of attention. Suddenly, Remus felt like slapping himself. If only he could think of Sirius Black without arousing any feelings of affection. Remus knew how Sirius had sold James and Lily to Voldemort and he could never forgive him for that. Still, Remus couldn't help but think of Sirius as his brother. At one time, Sirius had been his brother. Sirius was the first to figure out that Remus was a werewolf. Sirius was the one who had come up with the idea to become Animagi to keep Remus company during transformations. Of course, Sirius had also been the one to let Remus' secret slip. Well, not exactly slip. Sirius flat out told Snape how to get into the Whomping Willow. Remus remembered feeling hurt, betrayed, and terrified. Terrified of the thought that he could have killed an innocent student. Granted, Snape had always hated Remus and vice versa, but still. Remus certainly didn't want anyone dead at his hands…paws…whatever. Remus knew that he should still feel betrayed and angry at Sirius for that, as well as the betrayal of James and Lily, and in a way he did. Then again, Remus would give anything if he could prove that it wasn't Sirius. If only he could talk with him.

_Why did you do it Sirius?_

Remus remembered how Sirius would always try and act so innocent whenever he got caught pulling a prank. He would give any teacher the big, pathetic, puppy dog eyes that he had perfected over the years and claim that "it was an accident." Either that or he would try to pass the blame to someone else. Once he came up with, "The ruler of the plimpies told me to!" Another time it was, "But Professor, Snape _wanted_ that raccoon to wash his hair!" Yet another excuse was, "Merlin came to me in a dream and told me that the teachers lounge needed to cleansed with Flobberworm mucus." He remembered one time he even tried to blame the full moon. Despite himself, Remus chuckled at the memory.

_"SIRIUS BLACK!" _

_A loudly snickering Sirius shook his long, black, locks out his face and looked up. "Yes, Professor?" He tried to give an innocent smile, yet his eyes shone with blatant guilt._

_"Would you care to tell me why Mr. Snape just ran out of the class screaming?" Professor McGonagall's eyes flashed in the direction of the four teenage boys seated in the back of her classroom. _

_"Erm…it would appear that young Snivellus - I mean Severus has misplaced his…" Sirius was overcome with such a strong fit of giggles that he began pounding the desk with his fists and failed to finish his sentence._

_"His _what_, Mr. Black?" Her eyes narrowed._

_"What my good fellow Sirius is trying to say is…" James tried, but found Sirius' laughter to be contagious._

_"Lupin? Would you like to give it a try?" Professor McGonagall asked sourly._

_"Er…I believe that Sirius…er…well, you see…" Remus began, desperately fighting down the laughter that was building up. Professor McGonagall sighed impatiently._

_"Pettigrew? Any comments?"_

_"N-no P-p-professor." He stuttered nervously. _

_"I see. Perhaps the four of you would like to join me Saturday morning when you once again possess the ability to speak." _

_"Alright…alright…I think I can talk now." Sirius said, taking deep breaths._

_"Well then, Mr. Black…enlighten us." _

_"It would appear…from what I…er...witnessed…that poor Snivelly's sugar glider was quite keen to escape from being turned into a pot and sought refuge in…" Once again, Sirius' laughter consumed him._

_"In…?" Professor McGonagall pressed._

_"His trousers!" Sirius finally managed. Every Gryffindor in the class began howling with laughter. _

_"I see." Professor McGonagall said coldly while Sirius laughed himself to tears. "You wouldn't have any idea as to _why _his sugar glider behaved in such a manner? Be reminded, Mr. Black, that I do not tolerate lying and you will have lost your house 50 points should you attempt."_

_"Oh Professor, do you think I would lie to you?" Sirius wiped tears away and tried to look innocent. Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "I may have had something of an influence on that unfortunate small mammal."_

_ "Indeed. Mr. Black, you have detention. 10 points from Gryffindor."_

_ "But Professor, I was under the influence of the full moon! You can't punish me for that!" He protested. James let out a huge guffaw and Remus once again found himself choking down laughter. Professor McGonagall stared blankly at him before returning to her desk._

_ As soon as class was over, Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter headed to lunch. _

_"I can't believe you antagonized her for that long." James told Sirius._

_"I know! I thought that vein on her forehead was going to explode!" Peter piped up excitedly._

_"Ah…Snivellus and the sugar glider…that was a beautiful thing." Sirius adopted a dreamy look._

_"It was indeed…" James agreed._

_"One thing..." Remus said._

_"Yes, dear Remmy?"_

_"You used _my_ excuse!" Remus said with a grin._

_"What do you mean _your_ excuse? You never use that excuse!" _

_"And now I never will because it's already been used." Remus pretended to pout._

_"Aw, poor Remmy. I think I made him cry." Sirius joked._

_"Sirius, you're so cruel." James laughed._

_"You'll get over it." Sirius said. "Hey look! Snivellus!"_

That had been their 4th year. Good times. Remus remembered he and James telling Sirius what a terrible actor he was that very same night after he miraculously weaseled his way out of a week's worth of detentions in Charms class. Remus could scarcely believe the irony of it all. Back when they accused Sirius of being a bad actor, they had absolutely no idea how wonderful an actor he really was. Remus would never have believed Sirius to be the spy. He had secretly always suspected Peter…he wasn't sure why. He knew that he himself wasn't the spy. He would never suspect Sirius. Peter seemed the only one whom Remus could imagine sacrificing his friends for himself. He never said anything to Sirius or James for the sake of not wanting to offend Peter. Now James, Lily, and Peter were dead at Sirius' hands, and all the while, Sirius had played the role of loyal, faithful best friend. He had been an excellent actor indeed.


	4. Harry

Sirius had traveled as a dog almost without stopping. He was famished and exhausted. He had been collecting scraps, but they had hardly satisfied. In Diagon Alley, he had found a newspaper dated August 6. He had been free for over a week. Well, not free exactly. On the run. Whatever he was sure was better than being locked up in Azkaban. Once again, he saw his own wasted face blinking slowly from the front page. Suddenly he was whisked back to a conversation he and his friends had during their 6th year.

_Sirius stood in front of the dormitory mirror inspecting his hair after Snape had attempted to enchant a pair of scissors to give him a positively hideous haircut. Sirius luckily had gotten away with only a few snips of hair being cut. _

_"Poor Snivellus. When will he learn that I am always going to be intolerably handsome no matter what he tries to do to me?" _

_"Intolerably self centered as well." Remus commented._

_"You know Padfoot, one day you're going to be old and bald and fat and UGLY!" James told his best friend._

_"I will NEVER be bald!" Sirius gasped. "Nor will I be any of those other things." He added quickly._

_"Nice comeback Padfoot." Remus snickered. _

_"Shut up Moony. At least I'm not a werewolf." He pretended to be disgusted._

_"At least I never had fleas." Remus shot back._

_"Moony, do you wish to wake up with that same haircut that dear Snivelly attempted to give me?" Sirius asked lightly._

_"Not particularly." _

_"Then keep your stupid comments to yourself." Sirius snapped, climbing into bed._

_"But really Padfoot, what are you going to do? I mean, you're just going to get uglier as you get older." James said. _

_"Nonsense! The day the face of Sirius Black fails to qualify as handsome will be the day Miss Evans agrees to marry you!" Sirius laughed as he rolled over to his side. Seconds later, James smacked him in the head with his pillow._

Sirius shook his head. He hadn't thought of that conversation until now. He hadn't even thought it when James told him that he and Lily were engaged. In a funny way, what he said had come true. James and Lily were married and his handsomeness had melted away to a skull. Of course, back when James and Lily had gotten married, he had still looked as he did at Hogwarts, where he was the resident heartbreaker, no contest. He glanced back at the newspaper and let out a whimper. If only he had known…

He decided to continue his journey. He could probably make it to Surrey by dusk. He remembered when he, James, Remus, and the rat had gone and wrapped Lily's sister's house. That had been so much fun. Lily of course had been furious, but it was completely worth it. They usually didn't pull pranks on Muggles, but when James went over to eat dinner with Lily's family, he was shocked by how horribly her sister and her husband treated Lily. Needless to say, Sirius, Remus, and the rat were only too happy to help.

Sirius wondered if they still lived there. Probably. Those stuffy old Muggles were too lazy and boring to even think about moving; at least that's what James had told them. With a start, Sirius remembered that they were the aunt and uncle to whom Hagrid had taken Harry that night. _Harry_. Sirius would give anything to see his godson. Just once, before he continued trudging to Hogwarts. Of course, Harry would be at Hogwarts as well, but Sirius couldn't allow himself to be seen there. The school board surely would have ordered all sorts of guards and other means of protection on the castle. Too bad dogs weren't allowed in Hogwarts. Then he could have snuck in as a pet. Fortunately, no one knew about the secrets passages from Hogsmeade straight into Hogwarts. Only the rat knew, but Sirius wasn't worried about him revealing himself. Well, Remus knew also, but he wouldn't be there. Sirius felt a small wave of sadness. He would like to see his old friend again. He wondered what Remus was thinking about his escape. He probably wanted to kill him. Sirius didn't blame him after all the horrible things he had put him through.

Hours after sunset, Sirius found himself in Surrey. He wasn't quite sure he remembered where Harry's aunt and uncle lived, so he decided to wander around a bit. He eventually came across a street called Magnolia Crescent. Just when he was ready to give up, a familiar scent made its way to his sensitive canine nose.

_Prongs? Stupid, of course it's not Prongs! Prongs is gone…but that is definitely his scent…Harry!_

Sirius practically ran up the street. He was getting closer. Finally, Sirius snuck behind the garage of Number 2. He peaked out. There he was…rummaging through his trunk for something. Why wasn't he at home? Sirius knew he had almost a month before he would return to Hogwarts. Sirius ventured out further to where he was standing between the garage and the house.

_He looks just like James…_

Suddenly, Harry sat up, alert and wary. After an apprehensive moment, Harry looked back down into his trunk, only to stand up seconds later, wand in hand.

_Come on Harry…don't hex me! I'm your godfather! _

Sirius heard Harry mutter, "_Lumos_." For a moment, Sirius was blinded by the light. He looked straight into it and saw Harry's silhouette stumble backwards right over his trunk.

BANG!

_The Knight Bus! Time to go, Padfoot, old boy. I'm talking to myself…not good. _

Sirius ran down the alley. He felt a twinge of guilt, knowing he had frightened Harry. On the other hand, he was happier than he had been in days. Seeing Harry reminded him of the good times before the horrible events of twelve years ago…times Sirius Black positively yearned to relive.


	5. Return to Hogwarts

Remus felt as though he could barely keep his eyes open as he gathered his things and prepared to leave for Kings Cross. While he was indescribably excited about returning to Hogwarts to teach, he felt downright lousy. Full moon had been the night before last and he was achy, weak, and exhausted. He was already supposed to be at Hogwarts, but Dumbledore had granted him permission to ride the Hogwarts Express with the students. With one last look around his cottage, he grabbed his tattered old briefcase and a small trunk with his few belongings and headed out the door. He wearily walked down to the village, where Dumbledore had a car waiting for him.

"Good morning Mr. Lupin." The man driving the car said cheerfully. Remus gave him as nice a smile as he could manage. He was just too tired.

Remus was happy to find they had reached King's Cross quite early. It was only 10:45. He still had a good 15 minutes before the train left. After placing his luggage in the train, he took a glance around and saw that Platform 9 ¾ was nearly deserted. He remembered how everyone always waited until the last minute to board the train. He, James, Sirius, and Peter found themselves running through the barrier with less than 2 minutes to spare almost every year. As he boarded the train, countless memories came rushing back to him. He was overwhelmed with a sense of belonging and he half expected to see his friends waiting for him when he reached the last compartment at the very back of the train. _Their compartment_. He was waiting to hear James asking Lily out for the millionth time, to hear her snap at him to leave her alone, to hear Sirius' obnoxious bark-like laugh as James once again faced rejection, to hear Peter tell James through a full mouth that he'd have better luck next time. In his minds eye, he saw them. James was sitting across from Peter and Sirius, rambling on about Lily and Quidditch. Sirius, who occupied the window seat across from James, looked at him excitedly saying, "Hey Moony, guess what! I finally figured out why Snivellus is so slimy!" Peter, on the other hand, was already stuffing his pudgy cheeks with Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

Remus took his normal seat next to the window and looked around at the empty seats. He was overcome with fatigue. He thought his morning drowsiness had evaporated once he saw the train, but suddenly it was as though someone had force fed him an entire cauldron of Sleeping Potion. He was asleep within seconds.

Hours later, Remus' eyes snapped open, but all he could see was black. Complete, utter darkness.

_What is going on? Where am I?_

Then there were voices.

"Who's that?"

"Who's _that_?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

_Who are these kids? Wait…Hogwarts…Hogwarts Express…these are my future students!_

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron-"

"Come in and sit down-"

"Not here! _I'm _here!"

"Ouch!"

_How many of them are there in here? _

"Quiet!" Remus finally found his voice. He summoned all the strength he possessed and held out his hand. Seconds later, the room was illuminated by the flames in his hand. "Stay where you are." He told his students. He stood slowly, his hand outreached in front of him. Before he could reach the door, it slid open to reveal a tall, cloaked figure. A slimy, rotting, gray hand protruded from the robes, but the dementor quickly pulled it back. Remus felt chills shoot down his spine as the dementor took a deep, horrible, rattling breath. He was overcome with a shocking wave of intense cold. As he struggled to stand, he heard the distant howl of a wolf inside his mind.

_No! No! NO!_

Remus felt something collapse beside him. He looked down and saw a boy with untidy black hair and glasses lying unconscious at his feet.

_James! _His heart leapt. _No, James is dead. Well then who…Harry…_

Until this moment, Remus hadn't even thought about how he would be teaching Harry. He had been too preoccupied with thoughts of Sirius.

_Sirius…that's why they're here…they're looking for Sirius…_

Remus grabbed his wand and, with great effort, stepped in front of Harry.

"None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go." He said, sounding much stronger than he felt. The dementor didn't move. Remus looked back at Harry, then back to the dementor. "_Expecto Patronum_!" He muttered. A silver wolf erupted from his wand, heading straight for the dementor. Finally, the dementor glided away. Breathlessly, Remus turned around to take a look at the kids.

"Is everyone alright?" As soon as the words escaped his mouth, the lights flickered on and the train began moving once more.

"I – I think so." A tall, gangly red-haired boy answered. _That's a Weasley if I ever saw one._

"Harry!" A girl with bushy brown hair cried, kneeling down beside Harry. She began slapping his face. "Harry! Are you alright?"

Harry slowly opened his eyes. Remus saw they were as green as they had been when Harry was a baby. The Weasley boy knelt down next to the girl. A boy with a round face stood beside Remus. He looked vaguely familiar, though Remus couldn't quite place him. A young red-haired girl sat occupied Remus' former seat. Harry's friends helped him back onto the seat.

"Are you okay?" Weasley asked.

"Yeah." Harry responded with a quick glance to the door. "What happened? Where's that – that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed." Weasley told him, sounding shaky. Remus took out his enormous slab of back-up chocolate. He had brought it along in case he started feeling ill again. Well, that and he just flat out loved chocolate.

"But I heard screaming-" Harry began to protest as Remus snapped the chocolate into pieces

"Here. Eat it. It'll help." He gave Harry a large piece

"What was that thing?" Harry asked, taking the chocolate.

"A dementor." Remus replied as he distributed the chocolate to the rest of the students. "One of the dementors of Azkaban." Remus felt all eyes on him as he crumpled up the wrapper and stuck it into the pocket of his shabby, well worn robes. He noticed everyone still had their chocolate in their hands. "Eat. It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me…" He said stepping out the door. _I'd never thought I'd see the day that teenagers had to be told repeatedly to eat chocolate! Especially when one of those teenagers is the child of James Potter! _

As soon as Remus reached the front of the train, he whipped out a quill and parchment.

_Professor Dumbledore,_

_Harry Potter has taken ill on the train due to a dementor attack. The dementor came into his compartment and Harry collapsed. I have given him some chocolate, but he may need professional help once he arrives at the castle._

_Yours sincerely, Remus_

Remus had to admit, it was not one of his more brilliant letters, but it would have to do. He found an owl and sent his letter.

"How much longer do we have?" Remus asked the driver.

"About ten minutes mate." The driver replied.

"Thank you."

Once Remus arrived back at the compartment, he found that no one had yet taken a bite out of their chocolate. "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know…" He said with a small smile. He was pleased when Harry took a bite. He looked better immediately. "We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes. Are you all right Harry?"

"Fine." He replied, going slightly pink. Remus hoped he hadn't embarrassed him by knowing his name automatically. He assumed Harry got that all the time.

When they finally stepped off the train, a familiar voice greeted them.

"Firs' years this way!" Remus' heart leapt once again. _Hagrid!_

Remus saw the terrified first years being led to the boats. He remembered all too well what that journey was like. He desperately wanted to run up to the giant and say, "Hi Hagrid! Remember me? Your favorite werewolf?" But he didn't. Hagrid had always taken a liking to Remus. Being half giant, Remus felt that Hagrid understood what Remus had gone through. Remus climbed into a carriage, which he had discovered in his fifth year to be drawn by Thestrals. Remus still couldn't see the Thestrals and was quite thankful for that indeed. As the carriages made their way along the path, Remus spotted even more dementors gliding along the grounds. He gave an involuntary shudder.

Finally, they passed the gates and Remus beheld a sight he had longed to see for fifteen years. Hogwarts Castle. Once again, chills shot down his spine, but for a completely different reason. He felt a sudden rush of joy and excitement as he marveled at the countless towers and turrets. It was as though he were seeing Hogwarts for the very first time.

As the carriages stopped, a new voice reached Remus' sharp ears.

"You _fainted,_ Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually _fainted_?" _Longbottom…that's why that boy looked so familiar! He's Frank and Alice's son! _Remus could tell automatically that this would not be one of his favorite students. He was willing to bet ten galleons (not that he had that kind of money) that the drawling, malicious voice belonged to a Slytherin.

"Shove off, Malfoy." The Weasley boy snapped. _Oh, a Malfoy. Spawn of Lucius...joy._

"Did you faint as well, Weasley? Did the scary old dementor frighten you too, Weasley?" _He _is _a Weasley._

"Is there a problem?" Remus asked mildly, stepping out of his carriage. Malfoy stared at him as though he were a piece of rubbish. _How'd you like to see me during the full moon you little…wait…this is my student…be nice Remus…nice…_

"Oh no – er – _Professor_." He replied, somewhat sarcastically. He then turned to two large, rather stupid looking boys and with a smirk, led the way to the front doors. Remus fought with all his might to keep from rolling his eyes as he too made his way up the steps to the magnificent castle. He supposed he needed to get to the Great Hall. Sure enough, Professor Dumbledore was waiting to great him.

"Hello there Remus." He shook his hand with a smile.

"Hello Professor." Remus grinned.

"I received your owl. How is Harry?"

"He seems much better. I gave him some-" Remus stopped dead. His eyes widened. A man had appeared at Dumbledore's side. A man Remus had not seen for 15 years. "Snivellus?" Remus gasped without thinking. "I mean – er…" He could feel his cheeks burning at his rude outburst. Severus Snape scowled at him.

"Lupin." He said coldly. In Snape's eyes, Remus could see utmost revulsion and loathing.

"What are you doing here?" Remus asked, his heart pounding.

"I should think the answer to that question to be quite obvious you filthy little half-breed."

"That's enough. Out of both of you." Dumbledore said sharply, as though they were a couple of bickering first years. Snape was now eyeing Remus' patched, shabby robes with a sort of cruel satisfaction.

"Nice outfit." He sneered. "I see life has treated you well."

Before Remus could think of a remark, Dumbledore said, "Severus is the Potion's Master, Remus. He will be concocting the Wolfsbane Potion for you."

"What!" Remus yelped. _I am drinking _nothing_ that git has prepared for me. It'll kill me! _

As though Snape could read Remus' thoughts, he said, "Let me assure you I was not leaping for joy when the Headmaster gave me this assignment."

"But you will do it." Dumbledore looked at Snape.

"Indeed." Snape said with a final icy stare at Remus before sweeping off into the Great Hall.

"Professor…" Remus said. "Are you sure there is no one else who could prepare the Potion for me?"

"He is the finest Potions Master we have ever had Remus, and this is a very complex Potion. There are not many wizards skilled enough to brew it properly." Dumbledore told him.

"I don't doubt his Potions skills. I doubt his conscience." Remus muttered.

"What does that mean?" Dumbledore asked with a small grin of amusement.

"He's going to poison me!" Remus cried out. Dumbledore laughed. "It's not funny! You saw the way he looked at me! He hates me! Ever since Sirius-" He stopped abruptly and could feel the color draining from his face.

"It's alright, Remus. Why don't we go and watch the Sorting?"

_The Sorting_. Remus remembered how terrifying that whole experience had been. He was sure he would be placed in Slytherin or sent home. Of course, neither had happened. Then he remembered the glorious moment that the cry, "GRYFFINDOR!" rang through the hall. The Gryffindor table had erupted with applause. In the midst of the students sitting at the table, one face stood out in the crowd. His newest friend. Shoulder-length black hair, dark gray eyes, a smile that would melt even the frostiest of hearts…

_Stop it! Stop thinking about him! He was never your friend!_ _He's a traitor and you know it! _

"I'd like that, Professor." Remus smiled. He turned and followed the great wizard into the Great Hall, all the while trying to repress countless memories of the sound of his friends' lost laughter.


	6. Sacred Vows

_So that's what Thestrals look like. _Sirius thought as he lurked in the shadowed bushes along the pathway leading to Hogwarts. He had never seen the black, winged horses that drew the carriages before. Now, however, that he had witnessed the deaths of twelve people, it was hardly likely that he wouldn't be able to see them.

How good it was to see Hogwarts again. Sirius felt warmth spread throughout his body as seemingly endless happy memories, memories that had once been sucked away and lost, came flooding back. However, the warmth was banished almost as quickly as it had arrived, and suddenly Sirius was afraid. A horrid emptiness was quickly consuming his entire being. With every ounce of strength he had left, Sirius transformed into Padfoot. He didn't need to guess that dementors were near.

Once Padfoot had pulled himself together, he began to formulate his plan. The sooner he could get inside the castle, the better. He had hoped that he could simply sneak in with the students, but with dementors strolling the grounds and the vast quantity of students, he figured that that was probably a stupid idea. His best bet would be to sneak into Hogsmeade and use the tunnel that led from Honeydukes' cellar to Hogwarts. He figured that no one would notice a black dog in the dark, so he snuck out from behind his bush and headed in the direction of the Whomping Willow.

_It's still here, isn't it? Surely they wouldn't get rid of something like that, even if there was no real use for it anymore. Aren't they really – Moony?_ Padfoot's thoughts were interrupted as a familiar scent reached his canine nostrils. He turned around and stared at the large group of students. No Remus. _You're losing it, Padfoot. Completely off your rocker. Memories are a bit too strong for you. _Padfoot shook his head and trotted off. Minutes later he was staring at the Whomping Willow.

_Still here! Yes! I knew Dumbledore wouldn't let me down!_

Padfoot sniffed around for a moment before he found a large stick. After a few failed attempts to prod the not on the tree with the stick in his mouth, he dropped the stick, looked around to make sure no one was around, and transformed into Sirius. In a flash, he grabbed the stick, prodded the not, and silently slipped down into the tunnel and transformed back into Padfoot. He could tell that the tunnel hadn't been used since their last late-night adventure, their last night at Hogwarts…the night they had made their vows…

"_I, Padfoot…" Remus had led Sirius in his vows._

"_I, Padfoot…." Sirius repeated._

"_Do solemnly swear…"_

"_Do solemnly swear…"_

"_Through fire blaze and ocean tide…"_

"_Through fire blaze and ocean tide…"_

"_To honor and value my friends who gather here tonight…"_

"_To honor and value my friends who gather here tonight…" At this point, Sirius would have taken the time to point out that the last two lines had rhymed, but the gathering was so special, so sacred, that even he wanted to show respect and maturity._

"_And to continue to live proudly as a Marauder…"_

"_And to continue to live proudly as a Marauder…"_

"_As a bearer of great secrets…"_

"_As a bearer of great secrets…"_

"_But most importantly, as a friend."_

"_But most importantly as a friend."_

"_We who gather with you…" _

"_We who gather with you…" Now James and Peter repeated._

"_Vow to always be by your side in your times of need…"_

"_Vow to always be by your side in your times of need…"_

"_And to cherish you as our beloved friend…" _

"_And to cherish you as our beloved friend…"_

"_Until the end of our days."_

"_Until the end of our days." Although they had been preparing and rehearsing this for months, Sirius felt tears well in his eyes as the words were spoken to him. Truly there had never been a friendship quite like theirs. This was real magic. Sirius felt the tiny room was too small to contain their love for one another, their friendship and devotion, and was surprised the walls were not fit to burst. His voice quivered, for he was so deeply moved, as he led James through his vows. _

"_I, Prongs…" _

"_I, Prongs…." James repeated._

"_Do solemnly swear…"_

"_Do solemnly swear…"_

"_Through fire blaze and ocean tide…"_

"_Through fire blaze and ocean tide…"_

"_To honor and value my friends who gather here tonight…"_

"_To honor and value my friends who gather here tonight…" _

"_And to continue to live proudly as a Marauder…"_

"_And to continue to live proudly as a Marauder…"_

"_As a bearer of great secrets…"_

"_As a bearer of great secrets…"_

"_But must importantly, as a friend."_

"_But must importantly as a friend."_

"_We who gather with you…" _

"_We who gather with you…" Remus and Peter repeated._

"_Vow to always be by your side in your times of need…"_

"_Vow to always be by your side in your times of need…"_

"_And to cherish you as our beloved friend…" _

"_And to cherish you as our beloved friend…"_

"_Until the end of our days."_

"_Until the end of our days." _

_As soon as they had finished with their personal vows, they blew out every candle they had lit, save one in the middle, and sat in the smoky, moonlit room. The beams of the waning moon danced in the smoke, casting eerie shadows on the walls. For a moment, they sat in silent reverence. _

"_And now, to make the sacred bond complete." Remus said softly. As one, the four friends recited together,_

"_We, the Marauders, brave sons of Gryffindor, swear on all we hold dear to ensure the safety and well being of our friends, respect the sanctity of our brotherhood, and to bear the secrets known only by those assembled here to our graves. This we promise until the day our hearts stop beating." _

_They sat in silence for a few more moments, before Remus made eye contact with each of his friends, blew out the remaining candle, and whispered, "Mischief managed." _

Sirius felt chills race down his spine as he remembered the sheer magic of that moment. He didn't want to think about how it had been James who had led Peter through his vows. Peter had looked James in the eye and sworn to protect him…to treasure his friendship forever. Had he known then that in a few years, he would be dead at his hands? Had the thought even crossed his mind? Sirius didn't want to know. He didn't want to fathom how sick and demented Peter must have been to lie in the sanctity of that moment. As he reached the shack, he transformed back into Sirius and looked around. Nothing had changed. He walked upstairs to the room where they had held their ceremony.

Nothing could have prepared him for the shock he was to receive when he saw that every candle they had burned that night still sat in its spot where they had left it nearly 17 years before. A whole new emotion hit him and without warning, tears were streaming down his face, into his beard. Sirius felt his weak knees buckle and he fell to the ground and wept. The tears he shed were not only tears of guilt, but of the deepest, richest sadness. So much of his energy had been centered on hating Peter that he had forgotten what it was like to mourn. His heart ached with the weight of so many tears, and a terrible, inconsolable yearning to see his friends' faces one more time, if only for a second.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…Please, James…Prongs…Come back…I'm sorry…" Sirius sobbed. His starved body heaved as he wept. "Moony…I never…I didn't break my promise…I didn't…Believe me…I didn't break it…" He felt like a child, but he didn't care. He realized that this was the first time he had cried over what had been lost. He had not cried on that fateful Halloween night. He had not cried when he had been taken to Azkaban. He had not cried even during those twelve awful years. Of course the tears had threatened, but he refused to let them fall. Now the seemingly endless tears fell with ease. The grief he felt became so utterly overwhelming that Sirius found it painful to breathe. Only once before had he felt sadness such as this. The night he had been told James, his best friend in the world, was dead.

Slowly, the tears subsided, leaving Sirius exhausted, yet oddly relieved. He had been holding the tears in for so long. It felt good to cry. After wiping his tear stained face on his dirty sleeve, he stood, took one last look at the room, and walked back down the stairs. He had a job to do. He had to get into Hogwarts. He transformed into Padfoot and found the door that led to Hogsmeade.

It was creepy at night. Of course, he had ventured here many times with James and Remus (and Peter, but he was in no mood to think of Peter), but never alone. Not at night anyway. Shivers ran down his spine as he walked through the spooky village. The silence was deafening. Soon he was overcome with the awful sensation that he was not alone. He peered through the darkness and sensed something moving…silently gliding through the mist…

_Not here too! _He moaned silently. Without waiting for the unseen dementor to draw closer, Padfoot ran. He ran as fast as he could straight for Honeydukes. Fortunately, it was still as easy to break into as it always was. He crept silently into the cellar and through the tunnel that would lead him to Hogwarts.

His first step into Hogwarts was nearly as emotional as entering the Shrieking Shack. He soon found himself in the same deserted corridor where he and James had confronted Remus about his "furry little problem," as James soon came to call it.

He passed McGonagall's classroom. _So many detentions… _He thought fondly, inwardly smiling. _Well earned, well deserved, well spent._

He knew he was approaching the Great Hall, not only because he knew every nook and cranny of Hogwarts like the back of his hand, but because of the smells and sounds that his keen canine senses were picking up. Soon, a voice he had not heard for twelve years yet recognized immediately reached his ears.

"…search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, how are her eon Ministry of Magic business." Sirius stopped right in front of the giant doors leading to the Great Hall to listen to what Dumbledore was saying. So far, nothing he hadn't already figured out. But perhaps something useful would come up.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is so leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises – or even Invisibility Cloaks."

_Woah! _Padfoot's ears perked up. _Wait a minute…does that mean…? Nah. _

"It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors." Padfoot yawned. He didn't need to listen to any lecture about dementors. He knew so much about them he could write a book. Two even.

"On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year."

_Not interested. _Padfoot thought as he stood to leave. However, a nagging itch in his ear distracted him for a moment and he sat back down to scratch it.

"First, Professor Lupin -"

_WHAT!_ Itch completely forgotten, Padfoot was on his feet in a second, his eyes wide. _How many Lupins are there? There can't be that many…that means… _

Padfoot couldn't stand it. He knew how much he was risking, but he had to know. Praying silently that no one was paying any attention to the doors, he pushed one of the doors open slowly with his head and peaked inside.

"-Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher."

_Moony…_

Padfoot knew him immediately. His light brown hair still hung to his shoulders, but was grayer than Padfoot remembered. His young face bore a few premature lines, yet his tired gray eyes still shone with the same kindness and cheerfulness he had exhibited twelve years prior. His robes were patched and very shabby and Padfoot realized that this was probably his first decent paying job he had ever had. All in all, he looked like the same old Remus.

Padfoot's heart swelled with joy. Not only was Remus alive, but he was happy, too. He was thriving, living the high life. Well, at least compared to the other Marauders.

_It's so good to see you Moony…_

Suddenly, Remus' eyes were drawn to the giant doors. Padfoot quickly pulled his head back and ran for the statue of the one-eyed witch. And although it had been a moment of panicking, he could have sworn that he and Remus had made eye contact before the giant door separated them once again.


	7. Keeping a Promise

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher." Remus smiled down the table at Dumbledore, then looked out at the students. The applause, though rather unenthusiastic, was more than he could have hoped for. He suspected that the students grew tired of applauding a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher every year. He knew that he and his friends certainly had. By their fourth year, James and Sirius had stopped applauding altogether.

Perhaps it was the mere thought of his two friends, but at once, Remus sensed that someone was watching him. He glanced at Harry and his friends, but saw that they were whispering about something and glaring down at the other end of the table. Remus let his eyes wander until they reached the giant doors. It was all he could do to keep his jaw from dropping.

For a moment, he could swear that a giant shaggy black dog had been peaking its head into the Great Hall. Remus' heart thudded with shock. In the blink of an eye, the dog had vanished. Remus struggled to control his breathing.

_It's being back here…you're seeing things…it can't have been real…Sirius can't be here…not yet… _Remus tried to convince himself, all the while trying to maintain a calm, cool, and collected appearance. Yet no matter how hard he tried to tell himself he had imagined the dog, he couldn't. Sirius Black had arrived at Hogwarts.

However, instead of being scared of that notion, Remus felt surprisingly irritated. _Stupid git! What was he thinking! Poking his stupid head into the Great Hall when the entire SCHOOL is in here… _Remus rubbed his temples. _Twelve years in Azkaban hasn't changed him a bit._

No matter how much Remus wanted to see Sirius thrown back into Azkaban, he didn't want to be the one to send him back there. But if Sirius kept this sort of nonsense up, he may not have much of a choice. He spent the rest of the evening silently debating whether or not to tell Dumbledore what he had seen.

_You know you need to tell him._ Remus, the responsible adult, the Professor, told him.

**But that would mean…I would have to tell him everything.** Moony, the Marauder, tried to argue.

_Oh, stop being so childish! That was so long ago. It doesn't matter anymore_.

**But it does matter.**

_It was some stupid candlelit ceremony. It didn't mean anything._

**No! It means everything in the world to me.**

_So you would risk the safety of every soul in this castle for the sake of some stupid promise you made to a man who didn't even keep it?_

**But James and Peter...I made it to them too…**

_Dumbledore needs to know. Just tell him. _Remus thought long and hard. He had to tell him. He had no choice. The Great Hall was clearing out as students made their ways to the common rooms. Remus cleared his throat and approached Professor Dumbledore.

"Er…Professor Dumbledore?" He tapped the silver-haired wizard on the shoulder lightly.

"Yes, Professor Lupin?" Dumbledore turned his bright blue eyes on Remus. In a flash, Remus was once again hurtling through time and found himself some 18 years earlier, sitting alone on a window, staring down at the lake.

"_Remus?" Remus turned away from the window to see Professor Dumbledore approaching. He looked at him for a moment before turning his attention back to the lake. The sun was going down. It's rays illuminated the gold in Remus' light brown hair and cast shadows across his handsome face. "Something is bothering you." Dumbledore said knowingly, taking a seat._

"_No. I'm fine." Remus replied. Why couldn't everyone just leave him alone?_

"_You're not fine." Dumbledore looked at him. "You are feeling hurt…scared…" Remus choked down a lump of tears that had been forming in his throat. "Betrayed…"_

"_Wouldn't you?" Remus asked harshly. He couldn't remember ever speaking with such a tone. Then again, he couldn't remember every feeling this angry._

"_I would." Dumbledore didn't try to argue. For some reason, this angered Remus._

"_With all due respect Sir, I don't think you could possibly know how awful I feel right now." Remus said, wishing that he could just be left alone._

"_You are right, Remus. I do not know how awful you are feeling. But I think I can name one person who might just be feeling worse than you." He said. Remus stared at him with cold, skeptical eyes._

"_Who?" He finally asked._

"_The young man who asked me to come a speak with you today. It would appear that you have something of a talent when it comes to the classic cold shoulder technique." _

"_Sirius asked you to come talk to me?" Remus asked._

"_That's right."_

"_Coward." Remus muttered._

"_Well, what I understand from Mr. Black is that he has tried many times to apologize, yet you either turn away completely or a display of your two fingers." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. Remus blushed. Now he was going to get in trouble for using inappropriate hand gestures at school. "Remus, I tell you now, that you will never again have friends like the ones you do now. I know how strong the bonds of friendship connecting you are. And I promise you this, never once in all my years of teaching have I met a group of more loyal friends. They would do anything for you."_

"_He betrayed me." Remus said quietly._

"_That is true. But perhaps you have betrayed him as well."_

"_What!" Remus yelped. "How? I have done nothing-"_

"_Exactly." Dumbledore said calmly. Remus eyed him questioningly. _

"_Unless I am very much deceived, Sirius has begged for your forgiveness, but you refuse to give it. Is that something you would expect out of someone who is meant to be one of your best friends?" Remus looked at the wise old face, but didn't answer. "Sirius is truly sorry."_

"_I know." Remus said grudgingly. "But…he promised…"_

"_And I'm sure he could tell you all about how much breaking a promise hurts." Remus looked directly into the Headmaster's eyes. They all but pleaded Remus to remember how many things Sirius had done for him through the years, how wonderful a friend he had been… _

Remus was once again standing in the Great Hall. A professor, no longer a student. Dumbledore was still standing in front of him, patiently waiting for whatever Remus had to say.

"Er…" Remus began.

**No! I can't do this! That promise was sacred. To all of us. **

"Thank you for this opportunity." Remus said slowly. He suspected Dumbledore knew that this was not what he had originally intended to say, but if so, Dumbledore did not mention it.

"It is my pleasure, Remus. I thank you for taking the job. Merlin knows Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers are getting sparser by the minute." Remus gave a small laugh, but his insides were writing with guilt. True, there was not as much guilt as he would have felt if he had broken the vow made so many years ago, but it was still there.

_I'm going to be fired before Halloween at this rate! _Remus thought miserably as he climbed into bed later that night_. Stupid Padfoot! Putting me in this situation! No…not Padfoot. Sirius. Stupid Sirius!_

Remus moaned into his pillow. This unhealthy thinking had to stop. He couldn't keep referring to Sirius as Padfoot. Padfoot was his friend. Sirius was not his friend. _Why_ did he keep thinking that? Why was it so hard to get the fact that Sirius was a blood-thirsty murdering heathen through his head? As Remus fell asleep, all he wanted to do was forget that he had ever had any sort of contact whatsoever with Sirius Black, but he couldn't. All he did was dream about all the wonderful memories he, James, Sirius, and Peter had collected throughout their years at Hogwarts.

They were Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, always and forever.

_Author's note: Hey guys! Happy summer! I hope everyone is having as magical a summer as I am so far. I'm serious…this summer has been just like out of a movie or something! Action, adventure, knights in shining armor, fixing cars, breaking curfews, romance… I'll have to write a story about it one day! Anyway, I'm not exactly sure what made me sit down and start writing on this story. I've been working on two new ones (one isn't for Fanfiction…it's about a hot Knight my best friend and I met at Scarborough Faire. You girls out there think you've seen the most beautiful man in the world? You haven't. Unless you've seen this guy. I'm not joking at all. He's gorgeous. And if you're thinking I'm making him up, I'm not! His name is Billy and he has a pet duck! My other story currently in the works is for Fanfiction though) but for some reason I was called to work on this story today. I hope you like the two new chapters. I'm in kind of a silly mood right now, which you can probably guess after reading my endless rant about Billy and how perfect he is. I don't know when I'll update any of my stories again since I'm about to go out of town for two weeks. But even if I were going to be in town, I can't update until I feel inspired to write. Otherwise, the story just isn't as good. You're all writers, you know what I'm saying. _

_Peace, Love, All that good stuff,_

_Midnight Paradise_

_PS – For all you music fans out there…If you're looking for a fantastic new CD to listen to, go out and buy the Red Hot Chili Peppers new album "Stadium Arcadium." I promise it will blow you away. I can say this without bias too because they aren't my favorite band. _


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